Should one retain professional help when audited?

Yes you should for several reasons. First the professional will deal with the situation from a professional level rather than an emotional level. One of the primary things we need to address in an audit is to supply the revenue officer with a complete set of information that he requests, but not extraneous information. I can make sure we do that. It will make the audit go easier. Then, if you do owe additional taxes, I can set up a payment arrangement for you that you can afford. By the way, it is probable that, if you are audited, you have been randomly selected, not that the IRS thinks something is wrong. Most audits are initiated by random selection based on factors like a Schedule C sole proprietorship or a large difference in income from the previous year.